SECAM: SIGNIS President Urges African Bishops to Prioritize Communication
By Magdalene Kahiu
The future of the Catholic Church depends on building strong communication networks, the President of SIGNIS, the World Catholic ecclesial movement for professionals in the communication field, has said.
Speaking during the 20th Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Ms. Helen Osman urged Bishops to treat communication as a vital ministry.
“Do not, I beg you, look at communications as a mother considers dessert – something to be had when you have extra money or for a special occasion. Rather, consider communications to be as essential as clean water is for a healthy body,” Ms. Osman said during the Assembly themed “Christ, Source of Hope, Reconciliation and Peace.”
She emphasized that communication should not be viewed as an extravagance, as it is essential for the church’s health and longevity.
“I may or may not be the first grandmother to address SECAM. But I must tell you –the reason I stand before you to ask to partner with you is not for my sake, nor even for my fellow SIGNIS members. It is for the sake of my 13 grandchildren. Because I know if we do not have a strong communication network, the church will not be there for them,” she said.
To support the communication apostolate in dioceses, Ms. Osman announced that SIGNIS has partnered with the Office for the Propagation of the Faith to launch a grant for communication projects in African dioceses.
The grant that is meant for communication projects only aims at aiding Bishops on the continent to build a stronger network of Catholic communications, Ms. Osman said during the July 30 to August 4 that brings together more than 200 participants, including Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Men and Women, and Lay Leaders from across Africa and its islands, along with partners from other continents.
At the July 30–August 4 event, Osman also announced that the SIGNIS World Congress 2026 will take place in Rwanda.
She explained the importance of the event, saying, “We know we are better when we are together, able to lean on one another, learn from one another, and practice co-responsibility in using our gifts and vocations.”
